Yoga Happens Every Day…No Matter What

Tag Archives: autumn

She walked alone in the woods today,the wind following her with its whispers.She climbed up the steep slope,finding spots of bare earth to plant her feetin a slippery sea of fallen leaves.She found her favorite stone outcropping,sat and closed her eyes.Breathing slowly and deeplyshe received a vision ofgreat warmth and delight,a future that waits for her willingness to let the past go.The cold began to seep inand she carefully picked her wayhere and there along the downward slope,superimposing the future visionupon the present matrix,thinking thoughts of integration.

Ah…I have some time and space to myself
and the presence of mind to feel grateful for it.
The autumn wind blows.
I can hear the windchime just outside my door.
Its ringing says, Now. Now. Now. Now.
A part of me wants to check out and go back to sleep.
A part of me wants to stay awake and be productive.
A part of me knows my body is hungry.
A part of me doesn’t want to bother stopping to eat.
What should I do?
The autumn wind blows.
The wind chime keeps ringing Now. Now. Now. Now.
Maybe I’ll just step outside
and let the wind caress my hair, my face.
I don’t need to think about what’s next;
I can flow through this moment
and appreciate what it offers.
When my mind isn’t cluttered with
what I should do,
I can enjoy life being done through me.

What causes the autumn wind
to rush through the forest
stirring the leaves,
breaking their fragile connection
to the spent moments of yesterday,
that they might flutter down to the earth
and experience new life in their death and decay?
It is in their letting go of the past
that they receive the promise of this new moment.
They cannot hold their form in death;
it melts away and feeds new life,
and this is the way of all things.
In the autumn of your life,
can you turn to look
at how you’ve been nourished by the Tree of Life?
Can you gracefully surrender the diversions of youth,
breaking free of your bonds, fluttering down,
allowing your form to be used by the earth,
making way for the promise of what will come?

Autumn arrives,
bringing cool air, wind,
and the promise of change.
As the days grow shorter
and the nights longer,
as nature slows down
and prepares for winter,
could I slow down too?
Could I take time
to go inwards, reflect,
see where I’ve been
and decide where I’m going?
Could I look ahead at life to come,
and choose to believe in the possibility
that after this long, dark night,
Spirit has a beautiful spring planned,
just waiting for my awakening?

A day of pleasure,
languidly moving
from one thing to the next
Breakfast with kids
then long meditation
a shower
therapy
lunch
a walk in the warm autumn woods
sitting and reading by the stream
home again,
some preparation to take kids out
for playground and picnic
then ten minutes of restorative yoga
Now, kids about to get off the bus
and I feel calm and happy.
This day is heaven on earth.

The season of giving is upon us
And I think about forgiveness.
Is this the gift I’ve been seeking?
Forgiveness means freedom
to be who I am
unapologetically,
to grant others the space
to experience their autonomy,
to move in this world naturally
without pretense or planning or airs.
I take a breath and for one moment
I cease running from my fears.
There’s a cold wind blowing
and the last leaves scatter
leaving the tree naked and bare.
Let the season of giving begin,
right there.